Letters376 Letter CCCLXXVI. To abbot Suger (A.D. 1149)
Letter CCCLXXVI. To abbot Suger (A.D. 1149)
He ad-vises and requests that Suger should prevent certain noblemen from fighting a duel.
To his venerable father and lord SuGER, by the grace of God Abbot of St. Denys, Brother BERNARD, called Abbot of Clairvaux, wishes health and sends assurance of his prayers.
It is time, and there is urgent need, that you should now take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, against a diabolical custom which is endeavouring to grow up a second time. Men who have just returned from the Crusade, Lord Henry, son of the Count, and Lord Robert, brother of the King, being enraged one against the other, have fixed one of those abominable meetings to attack and slay each other, after the festival of Easter, being benton violating all laws. Judge in what disposition of mind they have made the journey to Jerusalem, since they have returned in such a mood. How fitly can this be said of them:—We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed; they arc stricken, but they have not grieved; they are consumed, but they have refused to receive correction (Jer. li. 9, and v. 3). After so many hardships and perils; after the sufferings and the misfortunes which they have had to endure; when the realm is in peace, these two return to it only to disturb and throw it into confusion, and that in the absence of the King. I advise and entreat your Highness, since you are the chief person in the kingdom, to oppose this breach of the peace resolutely, and, either by persuasion or by force, prevent its taking place; your honour, the happiness of the kingdom, and the interest of the Church all require this of you. If I appeal to force, it is to that which belongs to ecclesiastical discipline. I am writing in this sense to the Archbishops of Rheims and of Sens, to the Bishops of Soissons and of Auxerre, to Count Theobald and Count Rodolph. Oppose yourself to these great evils both on account of the King and on account of the Pope, to whom the peace of the realm is a matter of concern.
Venerabili patri et domino SUGERIO, Dei gratia abbati Sancti-Dionysii, frater BERNARDUS Clarae-Vallis vocatus abbas, salutem et orationes.
Nunc tempus et opus est, ut apprehendatis gladium spiritus, quod est verbum Dei, contra diabolica figmenta, quae regerminare moliuntur iterum. Homines namque illi qui reversi sunt, maledictas illas nundinas post festa paschalia praefixerunt, et statuerunt laxatis habenis dominus Henricus filius Comitis, et dominus Robertus frater Regis, ut irruant et interficiant semetipsos. Animadvertite quali voluntate viam Jerosolymitanam aggressi sunt, qui cum voluntate hujusmodi regressi sunt. Quam recte dici potest de istis: Curavimus Babylonem, et non est sanata!; percussi sunt, et non doluerunt; attriti sunt, et renuerunt suscipere disciplinam! Post tot labores, post tot pericula, quibus vexati sunt a tribulatione malorum et dolore, regnum in pace est, et Dominus Rex abest: et per hos duos potest terra singulariter commoveri, sed et perturbari. Supplico et consulo Sublimati vestrae, quia maximus princeps estis in regno, ut vel dissuasione, vel vi, totis viribus vos opponatis, ne fiat hoc: quia sic convenit honori personae vestrae, et terrae vestrae, et utilitati Ecclesiae Dei. Vim autem appello, quod ad ecclesiasticam pertinet disciplinam. Nos autem idem scribimus domino Remensi, domino Senonensi, domino Suessionensi, domino Antissiodorensi, comiti Theobaldo, comiti Rodulfo. Opponite vos tantis malis, et propter dominum regem, et propter dominum papam, ad quem pertinet custodia regni.